The invention concerns an aircraft high-lift system with overload protection and having a drive system, and components for transmitting the drive energy over the entire wing span to drive stations of individual segments of landing flap/slat flap systems.
Aircraft high-lift systems with central drive systems for aircraft landing flaps already exist. In these systems the drive energy is distributed by means of rotary shaft systems over the full wing span to corresponding drive stations of the individual segments of the landing flap system or the slat flap system. If an individual segment is blocked, this segment has to take up the full drive energy of the central drive as reaction energy, and accordingly it has to be large and heavy.
Mechanical torque limiters are therefore installed as protective devices on each drive station. These mechanical torque limiters divert the drive energy to the wing structure whenever a specified overload occurs, so that the blocking flap is not damaged. As a consequence of the lagging of the drive unit, the shaft train between the drive unit and the blocking point is loaded with maximum driving torque. The error is determined by a mechanical indicator (if there is one) that must be located visually by the maintenance personnel. Additionally, the operating readiness of the mechanical torque limiter can be checked only by testing. Furthermore, the equipment must be removed from the aircraft. Arrangements of this type with mechanical distribution of drive energy by means of rotary shafts are common in all types of aircraft.